Structural panels with attached clips



April W6? J. E. GILLESPIE 3,312,,U3Q

STRUCTURAL PANELS WITH ATTACHED CLIPS Filed Nov. 27, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 4, 9 J. E. GILLESPIE STRUCTURAL PANELS WITH ATTACHED CLIPS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 27, 1963 ill/ United States Patent Ofifice 3,312,931 Patented Apr. 4, 1367 3,312,030 STRUCTURAL PANEL WITH ATTACHED CLIPS James E. Gillespie, Caledonia, Ontario, Canada, assignor to Domtar Limited, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, a company of Canada Filed Nov. 27, 1963, Ser. No. 326,478 4 Claims. (Cl. 52-497) The present invention relates to panels with attachment clips and a method of making same. More particularly, the invention relates to panels with low core strength or of minimal thickness having mounted clips attached thereto during manufacture of the panel.

Heretofore, it was known to use clips in erecting panels but they had several drawbacks and limitations. For example, some clips are visible and unsightly; some clips are separate and must be applied to the board on location, creating a source of annoyance and inconvenience to the erecting trades; and other attachment systems permanently attach the structural member and panels, thus precluding panel mobility without damage to panels or structure.

It was also previously proposed to equip boards with anchor clips during the process of manufacture by inserting the clips into the material before final hardening or setting of the board. This type of attachment is of doubtful utility for low core strength or minimal thickness panels in particular with regard to plaster board. With plaster board and the like vibrations, for example, would likely weaken the bond between the clip and the board due to the brittleness of the core.

The present invention provides an improved board construction having a strong bond between the panel or board and the clips.

' Also, there is provided an improved clip which allows one panel to be installed or removed from the structure without disturbing adjacent panels.

It is a further part of the invention to provide a method of manufacturing panels with a strong enough adhesive bond between the metal clip and the wallboard or panel material to insure that the clip is firmly and permanently attached to the panel.

The panel will generally be of the laminated type, con sisting of two boards secured face to face by an adhesive compound. The face or outside board is generally wider than the backing board such that the clips are visible from the rear but hidden by the outside board. Dur- 'ing laminating, clips are inserted between the boards and are held in position by the adhesive. In a preferred embodiment, I use a clip having a suitably shaped clamping portion and a flat perforated tab portion which latter portion is inserted during fabrication sandwich-like between the two sheets to be adhered. The perforation or perforations in the tab portion are filled with adhesive to provide a direct bond between the two boards through the perforations.

Thus, in the preferred embodiment there is provided a clip or clips each having one or more perforations therein to allow direct adhesive bond between the panels to firmly hold the clips in place.

Because of the difference in width between the front and back panels, cull boards (eg. boards unsuitable for sales because of surface or edge damage) may be used in the rear to enable more economical production. Also, production costs may be reduced as more economical adhesives (non-contact types) may be used. It is also possible to use narrow strips of material overlapping the tab portions of the clips in place of the back-up sheet or even small patches may be used rather than a continuous strip of material.

A further feature is a fold-out portion in the clip spaced from the tab portion between which the back-up sheet or strip may be frictionally gripped for more accurate alignment of the clips on a panel.

Other objects, features and advantages will become evident from the following description taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one type of clip.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal section showing a segment of the fabricated panel in relationship with a structural member.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing another type of clip.

FIG. 4 is a perspective from the rear of a fabricated panel.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a pair of panels mounted on another form of stud illustrating yet another form of clip.

Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a panel 16 comprising two layers of so called wallboard 12 and 13 adhered together in coplanar relationship by a layer of adhesive 15 (see FIG. 2 or 3). A plurality of clip members 11 are shown adhered between the members 12 and 13 along the margin of the back-up member 12. In the drawing, clips are shown only along the side edges of the back-up member 12, but they may also be placed along the ends of said back-up members by using a shorter back-up member so that the clips do not protrude over the edge of the facing ply 13.

Strips that merely overlap the tabs 17 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) of the clips 11 may be used in place of the backing sheet 12. These strips need not be continuous but could be segmented providing small patches of backing material overlying the tabs 17.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 there is shown a particular type of clip that may be used in the present invention. The clip 11 is provided with a flat surface or tab 17 which has one or more perforations 18 therein. These perforations 13 function as keying holes through which the adhesive penctrates to provide direct bonding between the members 12 and 13 through the tabs 17. The size of the tab 17 will vary depending on the length of clips 11 and the load to which the clip will be subjected. The clip 11 and thus the tab 17 could be made the full length of the panel if desired.

A cut out may be made in the remaining portion 21 (other than the tab 17) of clip 11 and the material shaped as shown at 19 and 20 in FIGS. 1 and 2. The web 19 extends approximately perpendicular to the tab 17 While the flap or tab 21} is generally parallel to the face of tab 17. The spacing between the tabs 17 and 20 or the length of web 19 is approximately the thickness of board so that the board may be frictionally gripped between said tabs (see FIGS. 2 and 3). By this gripping, the clips may be accurately placed on the back-up material for ease and accuracy of fabrication.

The said remaining portion 21 may be of any suitable shape which will co-operate with a structural member for maintaining the board in position. In the clip shown in FIG. 1, portion 21 is bent back upon itself. This turned back section may be of spring-like material to more firmil grip the structural member.

In FIG. 2 a panel is shown mounted on structural member 14 shown as an I or H beam. Portions 21 of the clips 11 co-operate with the flanges of the member 14 to hold the panel 16 in position. As the panels are not limited to wall panels, the term structural member covers a vertical stud, a furring member or a horizontal member such as a ceiling me'rnber. Obviously a different shape of clip portion 21 will be used depending on the shape of the structural member.

The flange or tab 20 is shown embracing the back 3 of the back-up member 12 in FIGS. 2 and 3 while the web 19 engages the edge of said member 12. Thus, the web 19 limits the amount that the clip may be forced under the member 12 and the flange 20 in co-operation with tab 17 holds the clip in proper position.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2 the partition, etc., is built in sequence by putting up a structural member, applying a panel 16 thereto and erecting a second structural member in co-operation with the other end of the panel 16. Another method of erecting might be to have the clip 11 and portion 21 so formed as to allow the panel to slide in a direction parallel to the face of the panel. One end of the panel being slid onto the flange of the structural member to allow the clip on the opposite end to clear said flange and then the panel would he slid in the opposite direction to have the clips on each side of the panel engage a flange on each structural member. By the latter method, the structural members could be erected before the panels.

A special type of clip is illustrated in FIG. 3 which allows the panels to be applied to structural members in a direction perpendicular to the face of the panel. Each clip 11 in this embodiment is provided with a spring-like section 22 and two camming portions 23 and 241. When the board or panel is erected, the cam 23 engages the flange of the structural member to bend the spring section 22 and allow the edge 25 to pass the flange. After the edge 25 has passed the flange, the clip springs back into position to lock the panel in position. If the panel is to be removed, the cam 24 causes the spring section 22 to be 3 flexed and allow the edge 25 to pass the edge of the flange.

The clip shown in FIG. is designed for co-operation with a diflerent type of structural member as indicated at 29. In this embodiment, the portion 21 of the clip is of V shape with one of the legs 26 of the V extending from the edge of the tab 17. The leg 26 is of resilient or spring-like material to urge the apex 27 of the V into the notch 28 in the structural member 29. One method of erecting panels incorporating this type of clip is to insert the apex 27 of the clip or clips on one edge of the panel into the notch or notches 28 on the structural member 29. The panel is moved in a direction to flex the spring leg 26 and then the opposite edge of the panel is moved in a direction perpendicular to the face of the panel to locate the apex 27 of the clip or clips along said opposite edge in a position to engage the notch 28 on another structural member. To dismantle the partition or the like, the panels need only to be moved outward in a direction perpendicular to the face of the panel.

There is thus disclosed herein a fabricated panel with clips attached directly thereto. With the present means of attachment, the clips are securely held in position by what may be termed rivets of adhesive passing through 4.- the perforations 1 8 in the tabs 17 with the backing and facing panels acting as heads for said rivets.

It will be noted that the clips may be of size such that they do not extend beyond the rear face of the back-upboard and thus allow for easy stacking of finished panels.

The clips are designated as having tabs of perforated metal only. It is also possible to use a wire mesh material for the clip if it is sufliciently rigid or to use wire mesh for the tab portion only and weld a portion 21 to the wire mesh tab. It is also possible to make the clips from plastic material of suitable characteristics.

I claim:

1. For use in a structure having structural members and panels co-operating with said structural members; a prefabricated panel having clips attached thereto, structural member engaging section on said clips adapted to engage said structural members, said clips having perforated portions, said prefabricated panel including a facing sheet and backing means, the perforated portions of said clips lying between said facing sheet and backing means, adhesive extending through said perforations to directly bond said facing sheet and backing means over said perforated portion to thereby anchor said clips to said anel.

2. A prefabricated panel as defined in claim 1, wherein said clip is provided with a web extending away from said perforated portion and a flange extending substantially parallel to said perforated portion, attached to said web, the spacing between said flange and perforated portion being such that saidbacking is frictionally gripped therebetween and said web limits the distance said perforated portion may be placed under said backing.

3. A prefabricated panel as defined in claim 1, wherein each said structural member engaging section is provided with a pair of cam surfaces, said cam surfaces being adapted to co-operate with a structural member to spring said clips for assembling and removing of panel with respect to said structural member.

4. A prefabricated panel as defined in claim 1, wherein said facing sheet is wider than said backing means and wherein said clips do not extend beyond the periphery of said facing sheet.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,270,405 6/ 1918 Gibson ;52366 1,823,998 9/1931 Venzie 52357 X 1,854,645 4/1932 Crysler et al. 52-357 2,793,403 5/ 1957 Livingston 52366 FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD W. COOKE, JR., Examiner.

VE MU i a t xami er. 

1. FOR USE IN A STRUCTURE HAVING STRUCTURAL MEMBERS AND PANELS CO-OPERATING WITH SAID STRUCTURAL MEMBERS; A PREFABRICATED PANEL HAVING CLIPS ATTACHED THERETO, STRUCTURAL MEMBER ENGAGING SECTION ON SAID CLIPS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID STRUCTURAL MEMBERS, SAID CLIPS HAVING PERFORATED PORTIONS, SAID PREFABRICATED PANEL INCLUDING A FACING SHEET AND BACKING MEANS, THE PERFORATED PORTIONS OF SAID CLIPS LYING BETWEEN SAID FACING SHEET AND BACKING MEANS, ADHESIVE EXTENDING THROUGH SAID PERFORATIONS TO DIRECTLY BOND SAID FACING SHEET AND BACKING MEANS OVER SAID PERFORATED PORTION TO THEREBY ANCHOR SAID CLIPS TO SAID PANEL. 